I’m normally a proponent of restoring old buildings. However, the Beebee power plant, with its seemingly haphazard additions, is not an attractive structure, and if it is structurally unsound, then it ought to come down and be replaced.

If there is a core structure that can be saved and used as the heart of a new structure, all the better. But irrespective of whether the old building is used or a new one constructed, any project ought to include high-end condos and a park/festival site.

If we want to revitalize downtown, having people who live there, rather just spend their working hours, is a big benefit. And what better way to take advantage of our wonderful downtown waterfalls than a park situated within its cataract?

By using the park as the future festival site, you also have natural noise abatement from the high walls of the cataract and the white noise generation of the waterfalls. Plus, what better backdrop for a festival or concert than the thundering falls?